Cheval Blanc St-Tropez

"There are good reasons why, in the first half of the 20th century, the French Riviera in general and St Tropez in particular became the stuff of legend. This is one of them. When it opened in 1936, La Résidence de la Pinède, as it was then known, was an elegant, uncomplicated maison by the sea, a short distance from the town centre. When it reopened in 2019, having been acquired by LVMH, it had been transformed into Cheval Blanc St-Tropez. Though outwardly still the same elegant, uncomplicated maison by the sea, things had actually changed beyond recognition. The interiors by Jean-Michel Wilmotte manage to be at once soothing and startling, with Provençal art everywhere you look. A 20th-century classic has turned into a 21st-century one, with no loss of charm. Cheval Blanc makes for an intriguing contrast with its sister property on St-Tropez’s main square, White 1921 (another LVMH gem), as well as with much-loved Hôtel Byblos, and it holds its own in spite of competition from the likes of Michel Reybier’s La Réserve Ramatuelle and Jocelyne Sibuet’s effortlessly stylish Villa Marie. —Steve King" - Lanie Goodman, Sarah James

"Cheval Blanc Saint Tropez has two serious local brags that curiously seems to precede both its three Michelin-starred restaurant and lavishly restrained interiors: it has access to a beach (more a small patch of white sand) and is a hop, skip, or Bentley nano-second away from Saint Tropez, unlike its Ramatuelle competitors. A tastefully contemporary expression of Riviera glamour, this Côte d’Azur maison comprises the original Pinede Chateau, extended and retuned inside for a less formal (but no less fabulous) set. This is where quiet luxury comes to play, to recline on creamy sun loungers following gourmet Truffle Croque-Madame lunches, or to inspect the hotel’s feast of modern art before a caviar and Champagne tasting menu, courtesy of Chef Arnaud Donckele. Rooms dressed in sumptuously simple blues and creams echo the views across a sequin bay to Saint Maxime, therapists work Guerlain potions into weary shoulders in the spa, and impeccably dressed waiters glide across the pine-shaded terrace, topping up paper-thin glasses of Ruinart." - Rosalyn Wikeley

"La Terrasse steps in at lunchtime and on Wednesday evening (when the three-star La Vague d'Or is closed) as the restaurant of Le Cheval Blanc hotel. In the shade of umbrella pines, looking out over the Bay of Saint Tropez, Arnaud Donckele and his team conjure up Mediterranean cuisine drawing on distinct Provençal influences. The premium-quality ingredients are prepared with a great sense of finesse and rigour: porcini tarte fine; lobster tail grilled in its shell, lobster roe sabayon; rabbit pie, sweetbreads and foie gras. Outstanding and wide-ranging selection of wines. The quintessence of French art de vivre…" - Michelin Inspector

"There are good reasons why, in the first half of the 20th century, the French Riviera in general and St. Tropez in particular became the stuff of legend. This is one of them. When it opened in 1936, La Résidence de la Pinède, as it was then known, was an elegant, uncomplicated maison by the sea, a short distance from the town centre. When it reopened in 2019, having been acquired by LVMH, it had been transformed into Cheval Blanc St-Tropez. Though outwardly still the same elegant, uncomplicated maison by the sea, things had actually changed beyond recognition. The new interiors by Jean-Michel Wilmotte manage to be at once soothing and startling, with Provençal art everywhere you look. A 20th-century classic has turned into a 21st-century one, with no loss of charm. Cheval Blanc makes for an intriguing contrast with its sister property on St. Tropez’s main square, White 1921 (another LVMH gem), as well as with much-loved Hôtel Byblos, and it holds its own in spite of competition from the likes of Michel Reybier’s La Réserve Ramatuelle and Jocelyne Sibuet’s effortlessly stylish Villa Marie(https://www.cntraveler.com/hotels/france/st--tropez/villa-marie)." - Steve King